Boom Boom Boom!

[alexpeng]

This was one of the first teams I made after coming back to Pokemon, and it's been working well for me so far. I have a bit of trouble with Blissey, the Rotoms and the odd steel type.

Anyhow, here's the team:

Boom#1
Lead Azelf@Focus Sash:
Ability:Levitate | Nature:Naive
4 HP/252Atk/252Speed
-Taunt
-Fire Blast
-Explosion
-Psychic

Azelf can quickly kill most non-scarfed offensive leads, and taunts the walling/bulky ones. It then explodes, netting its second kill if it was an offensive lead, or switches out to be used to stop a threatening sweep or a pokemon that walls too much of my team.It's a useful flying fairy, as explode lets me stop any potential sweep as soon as it starts. Although useful for blocking ground moves, I am often forced to explode as soon as SR is set up.

Special Wall and General Hit Absorber
Celebi@Leftovers
Ability:Natural Cure | Nature: Modest
6 Def/252HP/252Sp.Def
-Thunder Wave
-Recover
-Grass Knot
-Earth Power

This green fairy can handle most supereffective hits, physical and special. Usually I thunder wave on their first hit, and I'll take 60% from their pursuit or fire punch, or 30% if it's an ice beam, then proceed to recover until paralysis stops them from hitting and throw a generally super-effective earth power or grass knot back, getting a kill. U-Turn and Megahorn are certain killers though, so they're avoided as much as possible. I love this guy because they'll switch in counters, and I'll just kill them in five turns or so. It has a bit of trouble with special walls, like blissey which I can only thunderwave, restore myself to full health, then switch out.

Boom #2 Physical Wall and Support
Metagross@Leftovers
Ability: Clearbody | Nature: Lonely
6 Sp.Def/252HP/252Def
-Reflect
-Stealth Rock
-Meteor Mash
-Explosion

A common switch in to ambipom leads or scizors, I'll set up reflect and stealth rock. Depending on their switch in I often go to Gyarados to set up with a DD or explode if it's a threat to any of my offence. I like how it can take an earthquake for around 40%, Reflect, take another for 20%, Stealth rock, then boom for a free switch to gyara. Unlike with electrode, my booms are rarely predicted, however the occasional mixmence or nape will ruin my strategy, as I'll reflect after seeing a couple of physical moves, then get killed by the flamethrower/fireblast. Works well with Heatran who sucks up the flamethrowers like milkshakes.

Physical Sweeper and someone to take my ground weakness that a lot of my team has
Gyarados@Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate | Nature: Jolly
4 HP/252Atk/252Speed
-Dragon Dance
-Waterfall
-Earthquake
-Ice Fang

Generally the earliest member of my offence to get used, one DD then into the attack. It usually switches in from earthquakes, especially from Swamperts. I chose ice fang over stone edge as it OHKO's Salamence and Gliscor, and I have electrode or celebi to T-bolt or T-wave the less common opposing Gyarados.Life orb and SR damage severely sap my health usually giving me only 2 switch ins, so other item suggestions are welcome.

Boom #3, Special Sweeper
Heatran@Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire | Nature: Naive
4HP/252Sp.Atk/252Speed
-Explosion
-HP Ice
-Fire Blast
-Earth Power

My answer to rotoaster, and my special sweeper as soon as electrode explodes on Blissey. Absorbs plenty of attacks with its steel resist and flash fire, but is primarily used in the latter stages of the game when I've got two or three pokes left, letting me go in for a hit and back out. I often am left with a Heatran on 20% against their last full health poke, and a nice explode finishes them off. It's annoying however when I get stuck 1vs3 locked into a move that won't kill them all. I chose HP Ice over HP grass for the ground/flying or ground/dragons that are a greater threat to Heatran and the team than Swampert, just because I have Gyarados and Celebi to deal with it. I ran naive just to beat the other scarftrans, and so I don't put a dent in my explode power if I need it.

Late game sweeper
Lucario@Life Orb
Ability:Inner Focus | Nature: Jolly
252Atk/252Speed/4HP
-Swords Dance
-ExtremeSpeed
-Close Combat
-Crunch

Swords dances up and sweeps away. Used to be focus sash lucario, but changed on recommendation and after a bit of testing. Close combat kills everything that crunch/ES can't. Max speed is to outspeed other lucarios. Although it adds a ground weakness to the team, two immunities and a resist balance it out. Has been on my team forever, as a sub/salac, focus sash and now life orb variant. Often used as a blissey detterrent, it is very reliable as its only weaknesses are well covered.
At a glance:

 

[greg3064]

You have way too much of a ground weakness. Four out of your six Pokemon are weak to it and you only have one immunity. My suggestion is adding in either Zapdos or Skarmory over Metagross. Skarmory accomplishes what you're doing with better typing and instant recovery, and can set up Stealth Rock as well. Zapdos can help with the ground weakness and still pack a punch. It also takes a lot of the burden off of Gyarados. You don't want to be switching Gyarados in on every Earthquake because Stealth Rock will take its toll. Zapdos and Skarmory have recovery to offset this. The only thing you lose is Reflect (which Zapdos may be able to get but idk).

 

[Komodo]

Shouldnt you change metagross' nature to impish for a physical wall ? Lonely lowers defense.

 

[thechocolatebunny]

Much of this team seems to rely on preventing SR from getting up, for example gyrados and lucario. Personally I think gyrados is fine but lucario is ruined if rocks go up. Electrode is fast but the 2nd highest used lead is scarfrachi who sets up SR in electrodes face and than lucario basically doesnt have an item. To fix this I recommend putting Life Orb on lucario because if you dont get that 2nd Swords dance you miss out on so many kills such as OHKOing skarmory with Close Combat.

 

[apollo456]

I think Claydol should go in over Metagross. It can learn nearly the same moves (except Mash), and can Rapid Spin. Since you want Lucario in the late game, you NEED a spinner, just in caset hey do put up SR/Spikes. Claydol isn't quite as powerful, but it is sturdy on it's own, and it resists Ground, which your team needs.

 

[alexpeng]

You have way too much of a ground weakness. Four out of your six Pokemon are weak to it and you only have one immunity. My suggestion is adding in either Zapdos or Skarmory over Metagross. Skarmory accomplishes what you're doing with better typing and instant recovery, and can set up Stealth Rock as well. Zapdos can help with the ground weakness and still pack a punch. It also takes a lot of the burden off of Gyarados. You don't want to be switching Gyarados in on every Earthquake because Stealth Rock will take its toll. Zapdos and Skarmory have recovery to offset this. The only thing you lose is Reflect (which Zapdos may be able to get but idk).

To me it feels like a 2 weak, 2 resist/immune, because heatran and lucario are always left to last, and most quakers are dead, or those such as Gliscor who walls my Luke have been taken out with HP Ice. Personally I feel one of my last two should lose the ground weak, however I've tried a lot of other combinations, none seeming to work for me, so I'll try a meta replacement.

When I lose meta, I lose my stealth rocker, so I'm disinclined to go with Zapdos. I actually had Skarmory in before Metagross, and it worked reasonably well, but I liked the reflect/boom combo Meta had. I'll try out Skarm again though.

Electrode is fast but the 2nd highest used lead is scarfrachi who sets up SR in electrodes face and than lucario basically doesnt have an item. To fix this I recommend putting Life Orb on lucario because if you dont get that 2nd Swords dance you miss out on so many kills such as OHKOing skarmory with Close Combat.

You'd be surprised how often they iron head, I taunt, then switch. With the Luke thing I actually have focus sash on it because I used to run a sub-salac set, but I found myself never subbing and just dancing up on their switch, so I went for focus sash.

I think Claydol should go in over Metagross. It can learn nearly the same moves (except Mash), and can Rapid Spin. Since you want Lucario in the late game, you NEED a spinner, just in caset hey do put up SR/Spikes. Claydol isn't quite as powerful, but it is sturdy on it's own, and it resists Ground, which your team needs.

Claydol is an attractive prospect, although I dislike how it doesn't attract flamethrowers and fire punches to power up Heatran, it also has a fairly weak explosion compared to Meta. If I don't like Skarmory, I'll try claydol next, as I like its defenses and movesets.

Thanks for your suggestions, any more are welcome! :D

 

[Shizzle]

Metagrosses are well known for carrying occa berries, so you need to be careful when switching out to heatran as many people will use a ground move.

Metagross wants impish not lonely.

Lucario, y does it have focus sash, and LO is needed for many kills, ie. jolly +4 luke OHKOs skarm with CC with life orb.

Gyarados does not want ice fang, does pitiful damage to everything except dragons, replace it with either stone edge or bounce. If you DD on the switch, and then DD again, you will be faster, and still be able to OHKO with stone edge with rocks down IIRC. Bounce +1 OHKOs mence with rocks down aswell.

 

[Darkmalice]

This Electrode lead is meant for UU only. If you use Screech, your opponent will automically assume you have Explosion. So they'll switch to their Ghost pokemon, and you'll have wasted a pokemon. Furthermore, Screech + Explosion doesn't OHKO many of the OU physical walls should your opponent lack a Ghost pokemon. This set is near useless against many common leads like Metagross, Swampert and Hippowdon.

Replace the Electrode lead with Lead Metagross. Metagross' Atk is more than double that of Electrode's, and will always produce superior results to Electrode's Screeched Explosion. Metagross can also set up an early SR. I'll have Earthquake instead of Bullet Punch for Heatran.

Replace your physical wall Metagross with Forretress. Forry is arguably a better physical wall thanks to no Ground weakness. He can still sport Reflect and Explosion; his other two moves should be Rapid Spin and Spikes. Forretress is rarely seen with Explosion (whilst people immediately assume Electrode and Metagross have it); you'll have a surprise factor. Set up Reflect, 3 layers of Spikes, blow away your opponent's Stealth Rock and then Explode. Note that it is often wise to use Spikes or Reflect the first move that Forry comes into play, for Rotom-A and Dusknoir immediately switch in on Forry.

Celebi shouldn't be a special wall (and why is Modest its nature?). It has too many common special weaknesses - Ice Beam, Flamethrower and Shadow Ball being the main ones. I was originally going to mention Blissey in place of Celebi, but it is not a good idea to have Gyarados as your only Ground immunity/resist pokemon. So I feel Speciall Defensive Zapdos is more suitable. Have Thunderbolt, Roost, Thunderwave and HP Ice. Latias is a common switch-in to Zapdos, and she'll hate being hit by Thunderwave, meaning that Lucario and Gyarados can finish her off with ease. Note that Zapdos will not be 2HKOed by Mixpert's Surf or Ice Beam, so with Roost and HP Ice, Zapdos will beat Swampert 1v1.

Heatran's 4 HP should go into Atk to power up Explosion.

Lucario should have a Life Orb. It is needed to net some important OHKOs, like +2 Extremespeed on Salamence. Almost every pokemon has Stealth Rock, so your Focus Sash is likely to be deemed redunant, even with a spinner.

 

[alexpeng]

Changes so far;
Fixed meta's nature
Changed Heat's HP EVs
Changed Lucario to Zapdos

Specific responses:

Celebi shouldn't be a special wall (and why is Modest its nature?). It has too many common special weaknesses - Ice Beam, Flamethrower and Shadow Ball being the main ones. I was originally going to mention Blissey in place of Celebi, but it is not a good idea to have Gyarados as your only Ground immunity/resist pokemon. So I feel Speciall Defensive Zapdos is more suitable. Have Thunderbolt, Roost, Thunderwave and HP Ice. Latias is a common switch-in to Zapdos, and she'll hate being hit by Thunderwave, meaning that Lucario and Gyarados can finish her off with ease. Note that Zapdos will not be 2HKOed by Mixpert's Surf or Ice Beam, so with Roost and HP Ice, Zapdos will beat Swampert 1v1.

Honestly, that's why I chose it as a special wall, and it does its job superbly well- it's by far my favourite on the team. For example, it takes a non-STAB Starmie's blizzard for around 49%, and Gengar's shadow ball for ~70. It fears heatran's STAB'd fire moves though. The general strategy with it is to T-wave, taking a hit getting it to 40 or so, recover up until t-wave kicks in, then hit back with Earth power for STAB Icer's/Fire's, or switching out at high health for gengar. Usually to heatran.

Because I'm swapping offense for Zapdos, I chose a defensively bulky zapdos, as specially defensive was redundant, heatran and celebi take special shots rather well. I'm still unsure on the stats of it, HP Grass works better than HP ice for me, as I have gyarados for physical ice and heatran for special ice. I'm still uncertain with regards to heatwave and thunder wave though, heat wave is mentioned above as I have no other users of fire moves apart from a shaky accuracy heatran fireblast.

Having tried multiple replacements for metagross, I feel this is the best way to improve the team. With the removal of Lucario, spinners aren't as necessary, and rather than 4 weak and 2 resists, it's 3 resists and 3 weak.

This Electrode lead is meant for UU only. If you use Screech, your opponent will automically assume you have Explosion. So they'll switch to their Ghost pokemon, and you'll have wasted a pokemon. Furthermore, Screech + Explosion doesn't OHKO many of the OU physical walls should your opponent lack a Ghost pokemon. This set is near useless against many common leads like Metagross, Swampert and Hippowdon.

Replace the Electrode lead with Lead Metagross. Metagross' Atk is more than double that of Electrode's, and will always produce superior results to Electrode's Screeched Explosion. Metagross can also set up an early SR. I'll have Earthquake instead of Bullet Punch for Heatran.

I tend to agree with this, especially screech, however there are a number of reasons for and against electrode. It's fast, stops set ups and baton pass chains (those beginning with ninjask who are too cocky to put some speed EV's in), takes down most weaker leads, kills mamoswine with explode, which my team has some trouble with, encourages an earthquake, meaning a free switch to gyara. This works especially well with swampert switches/leads as they can rarely do anything to Gyarados. If left until endgame, it's a wild card that takes out what my other pokemon cannot, and it works especially well on Blissey's, who just softboil and seismic toss while getting exploded.

Problems with electrode are the obviously weak offense, meaning not many options other than explode. Screech, I agree is useless, and suggestions on its replacement (as well as other leads) are welcome (toxic maybe?).

In terms of thinking about other leads, I thought about azelf, which explodes, taunts, SR's and can hit hard. However the speed reduction that allows me to confidently kill anything with explode worries me, I'll test some sets for azelf leads next.

Edit: After a bit more testing with azelf, I decided to bring luke back, as the ground weakness isn't much of a problem with it around.

Electrode does give a nice break from the common leads though.




Again, thanks everyone for your input, and the team's getting there! Any other suggestions very very welcome :D

 

[mf]

You don't need to worry about Azelf's speed - base 115 is more than enough to stop common leads, who tend to be much slower. Taunt/Explosion/Psychic/Fire Blast @ Focus Sash tends to be the lead set, although this is just an invitation for Heatran to switch in. I do recommend this over Electrode though, who, aside from his weak explosion, does nothing for the team